The idea to organize cybersecurity professionals and get them to work for Hillary Clinton’s election campaign was in the works for more than a month before, says Jake Braun, CEO of Cambridge Global Advisors and co-organizer of the event. But it didn’t gain steam until the Republican presidential nominee made his infamous statement.

“Maybe 12 people had RSVP’d until then,” Braun said. “It went through the roof after that. It really helps when you have Donald Trump giving Russia a pass on hacking our democracy.”